Police stage active shooter drill at Maine Mall

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Emergency crews from all over southern Maine were staged at the Maine Mall Sunday night for an active shooter -- but it was just a drill.

Still, it was quite a scene to see, with a number of police, rescue, and fire personnel participating.

Actors were staged inside the mall for the fake shooting as police forced their way in. Rescue teams were pulling out fake victims. They say going through the motions like that helps them better prepare if a situation like this ever should happen.

South Portland Fire Lieutenant Robb Couture says drills like this help each public safety unit involved learn how to better work together, something they don't often do.